Moonlight Basin is finalized as host of the sole qualifier stop on the 2011-2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour. This event is an important component to the tour because it gives unknown athletes a chance to pre-qualify for the rest of the 2012 stops.

“We are very excited to host a Subaru Freeskiing World Tour event, to be able to showcase the incredibly challenging inbounds terrain that we have here at Moonlight Basin,” said Greg Pack, the resort’s General Manager.

The comp will be held in the Headwaters, a cirque with consistent, steep, plumb-line chutes and more than 1000 vert.

After scouring the resort in the western U.S., the event team found many good options to host a qualifier, said Event Director Bryan Barlow. They chose Moonlight over the rest based on its unique terrain and the resort culture that embraces freeskiing.

“It’s going to be great to move the qualifier to Montana, and [we] can’t wait to see some of the local talent that has been hiding up there,” Barlow added.

The caliber of skiing at qualifying events is always extremely high, as athletes vie for the coveted spots on the Freeskiing World Tour. After Moonlight Basin, and the first North American stop at Revelstoke, the tour heads to the steeps of Crested Butte, Kirkwood and Snowbird. An overall Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Champion will be crowned at the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Championships at Snowbird.

A small group of athletes will be pre-qualified into the Moonlight event based on last year’s tour standings, and the rest of the spots will remain open to the public. Registration for the event will begin Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. MST.freeskiingworldtour.com